Advanced Interviewing Skills Workshop

May 06, 2018

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The Career Services team invited Ms. Angela Lee, a seasoned HR professional in both private and public sectors, to conduct an Advanced Interviewing Skills Workshop for the part-time MBA students. The workshop equipped the participants with strategic skills for behavioural & competency-based interviews.

Through the group discussion and role play exercises, the workshop helped participants to understand the assessment guidelines and selection decisions. Angela also highlighted the importance of authentic presence and gave her advice on interview preparation from both the employer’s and the candidate’s perspective.

Resume Writing with Emotional Intelligence

April 13, 2018

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The Career Services team invited Ms. Natalie Evie, an experienced executive coach with expertise in the psychology of emotional intelligence to conduct a Career Progression Workshop on ‘Resume Writing with Emotional Intelligence: How to Pass the Resume Screen to Get an Interview’ for both full-time and part-time MBA students.

Natalie gave her valuable insights and strong tips, from the recruiter’s perspective, on improving a resume. Through discussion of different resume samples and cases studies, the workshop helped participants to understand the real purpose of a resume and sharpen the winning edge of their own resumes for future career moves.

MBA World Summit 2018 in Capetown, South Africa

March 14, 2018

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We are very excited to announce that three of our full-time MBA students were selected to be among the top 100 inspiring participants in the MBA World Summit 2018 which took place 14th – 16th March in Capetown, South Africa. This is the 4th year consecutively for our MBA students to be selected to participate in this worldwide recognised event.

The aim of the Summit is to further strengthen inspirational exchange among the brightest MBA students around the world by meeting in person and building sustainable relationships between future business leaders. All summit participants have their travel, accommodation and entertainment expenses sponsored.

All participants had to undergo a multi-stage selection process to be invited to the Summit, in order to ensure the best selection of students with a passion for exchanging ideas and mutual inspiration. They had the chance to debate the most pressing issues of the day as well as future challenges and engage in a vibrant discussion on standards of practice. This year, the MBA students had also the opportunity to work together with 20 entrepreneurs from the township of Philippi to learn what it means to build a business out of an African township and to share their expertise with the entrepreneurs to help them accelerate their growth.

INFINITI Campus Talk

March 13, 2018

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The INFINITI campus talk was held in HKU Town Centre on March 13, 2018 at our HKU MBA Town Centre. Mr. Liam Williams, Senior Manager of INFINITI Global Human Resource, explained the business overview and products of INFINITI, its global facilities and the greater focus on the luxury market in mainland China. Mr. Williams talked about the world’s first production, INFINITI VC-Turbo and its ready variable compression ratio engine. INFINITI’s marketing slogan – Empower the Drive – was also demonstrated as one of their main marketing strategies. Lastly, current project areas were presented with application time line and selection criteria. Our MBA students then had an insightful Q&A session with the INFINITI team and gained more knowledge of its corporate culture and job opportunities.

S&P Global Campus Talk

March 12, 2018

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We were delighted to have Ms. Bonnie Cheng and Mr. Kenley Ma from S&P Global recruitment team, and speakers from Corporate Ratings team, Mr. Andy Liu and Mr. Leo Hu, visit our Town Centre on March 12, 2018 to conduct a briefing for our MBA students. S&P Global’s Corporate Ratings speakers provided an overview of S&P Global, their services, and an insightful “A Day in the Life of the Ratings Team” presentation, as well as the valuable experience of being with S&P Global. Information on upcoming opportunities, the application process and selection criteria were laid out by S&P Global’s recruitment team afterwards, followed by an interactive and dynamic Q&A session.

Badminton Tournament

March 04, 2018

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The HKU MBA Badminton Tournament 2018 was held on Mar 4th at the HKU Lindsay Ride Sports Centre, bringing together an enthusiastic group of staff, alumni, full-time and part-time students. All players were playing at a high level, while supporters were very much impressed with their intensity! It was also a great networking platform for everyone within the community to connect with each other. Many thanks to our alumni Stanley Chan and Vincent Wang for coordinating the sports programme.

Leadership Talk by Mr. Alan Hilburg

March 02, 2018

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HKU MBA was honoured to host a leadership talk presented by Mr. Alan Hilburg, President and CEO of Hilburg-Malan, on the topic “From Tylenol to telephones on fire: Crisis leadership in the 21st Century” at the Town Centre on March 2.

The MBA students and alumni took away a lot from Mr. Hilburg’s talk. It helped to get them ready mentally for what to do when faced with brand trust issues in both their professional lives and personal lives. It also better prepared them to understand the values surrounding the businesses and to spend more time taking action to prevent crises.

Our students and alumni also enjoyed the drinks reception after the leadership talk which allowed them to talk personally with Mr. Hilburg and his colleagues Mr. Duke Malan and Ms. Chloe Lam.

Written by Kartik Parameswaran, MBA Candidate (Class of 2018), President of Finance Club

Chinese New Year Gathering

February 13, 2018

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All current full-time, part-time students and alumni were invited by the MBA Office to gather at Liberty on Feb 13th. Everyone was happy to meet up with their classmates and friends to welcome the year of the Dog. With a very good mix of students and alumni, this event attracted more than 100 people and our guests were able to chill out and enjoy drinks together in a very cosy environment.

Facebook Recruitment Talk

February 08, 2018

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Facebook executives came to meet HKUMBA students in Town Centre on 8 February to recruit summer interns. This will be the very first Facebook internship program in the APAC region, especially for the Hong Kong and Singapore offices. The intern will work in a Client Solutions Manager role for a 12 week period beginning mid-June. The session began with an informative presentation followed by a panel discussion and finished with Q&A plus networking. Both the Recruiting and CSM teams shared more information about the Facebook DNA, provided an overview of the Client Solutions Manager role and also discussed the culture and life at Facebook.

Psychological Preparation for Work Challenges

February 02, 2018

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A core competence of the successful professional is the psychological strength to cope with stress and maintain what psychologists term, “emotional stability”. With this in mind, the Career Service team invited a clinical psychologist, Mrs. Beatrice Ng-Kessler, to talk to full time MBA students about techniques for stress management.

Mrs. Ng-Kessler guided the class to become more aware of their own thought processes, to see their own worry profiles and consider how to process worrisome thoughts. In the second part of the workshop, she covered symptoms of burnout and how to handle them. She also led the class to experience mindfulness and learn some relaxation skills. Her class encouraged students to better understand themselves, the workings of their mind and helped them acquire new skills to cope with stress.

Visit to Thomson Reuters - Finance Club

February 01, 2018

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The Finance Club organised a visit to Thomson Reuters’s office at ICBC Towers, Central and we indeed had a very informative session. This visit gave us an opportunity to gain more knowledge about the Reuters’ Eikon system from the company representatives themselves and also interact with the company personnel. The Finance Club of the Full-time MBA Class of 2018 expressed its gratitude to Thomson Reuters for hosting us and sharing their knowledge about the company and the Eikon system.

Financial Modelling Session

January 25, 2018

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The Finance Club and Career Services co-organised a knowledge session in Discounted Cash Flow and Mergers and Acquisitions modelling in collaboration with AMT Training, Hong Kong. The session was spread over two days.

In order to seek jobs in the investment banking space, it is imperative that one’s modelling skills are enhanced. With many of our classmates going on to London Business School and Columbia Business School to pursue advanced level courses in Finance, this session was indeed helpful in revising many of the financial concepts and also getting students used to playing with numbers on Excel.

The Finance Club thanked the trainer from AMT Training, Mr. Ronald Chung, for the session and presented him with a souvenir at the end of the two days.

HKU MBA Singapore Trek 2018

January 17, 2018

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As the business world becomes increasingly dependent on international networks, the Singapore Trek is designed for students who seek to develop a professional network in Singapore. We visited eight companies from different industries including UOB Kay Hian Holdings Limited, PersolKelly, Sia Partners, UPS Asia Pacific, MoneySmart (FinTech), Mapletree Investments, Apple and Infosys. In particular, the students met up with senior executives from the companies so that they could gain a better understanding of the business strategies, potential job openings as well as career development in these organisations. The Career Services Team also organised a networking event in the evening and invited alumni, business leaders as well as other external stakeholders to share views about working and living in Singapore.

Alumni & Students Gathering in Shenzhen

January 13, 2018

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HKU MBA organised a gathering for our alumni and students in Shenzhen on 13 January. This gathering helped strengthen the bond between students and alumni beyond Hong Kong in the Pearl River Delta. It also re-connected the MBA community to keep each other updated on the new developments and business opportunities in the concept of a Greater Bay Area.

Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance - MBA Joint School Event

January 11, 2018

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Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance and Infiniti hosted a MBA joint school event at our HKU Admiralty Town Centre on 11 Jan 2018. The combination of Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault creates a new force in the global auto industry. This is one of the world’s leading automotive alliances and has helped Renault and Nissan outperform historic regional rivals, elevating both companies to an elite tier. The Alliance China Team is also, for the first time, hiring MBA students for their Alliance Rotational Development Program (ARDP) in China and they came to our HKU MBA Town Centre to meet with some targeted students for interviews.

Career Progression Workshop

January 10, 2018

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Career Services team invited Ms. Karen See, an experienced global executive to conduct a Career Progression Workshop on ‘Communicating, Executive Presence and Putting Your Boldest Self Forward’ for both full-time and part-time MBA students.

Ms. See shared her views on leadership presence in both professional and personal life. Through the discussion on different leadership styles, non-verbal communication, signature voice and active listening, the workshop helped participants to review their presence and ‘always on’ approach to leading in life. Everyone can put their boldest self forward and make an impact on people around when we are fully engaged.

Company Visit to L’Oréal Travel Retail - HK Office

December 11, 2017

The world leader in beauty, L’Oréal is today present in 140 countries. On every continent, the group creates and develops cosmetic products adapted to the infinite diversity of its consumers. L’Oréal is always seeking top students for programmes and placement opportunities in locations all over the world. We invited 18 students who were passionate and interested in the travel retail business to join the company visit on 11 Dec 2017.

Women in Leadership Club: The Gender Experiment

December 08, 2017

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The Women in Leadership Club organised The Gender Experiment, its annual marquee event on Dec 8, 2017. The topic for the panel discussion was, "Leading Across Cultures: Does Gender Affect Leadership in Multi-Cultural Teams.” As a group, the panel aimed to discuss how different genders react to cultural differences in the workplace and how leadership skills can be developed in an increasingly global work environment.

The event was hosted at Citibank. The panelists included Mary Beth Asher, Assistant Vice President of the Asia Pacific Sales at AT&T; Kris Lui, Director, Human Resource at The Dairy Farm Group; Charles Lankester, EVP at Ruder Finn; Priscilla Ng, Head of Customer Franchise at Citibank Global Consumer Banking and Syed Musheer Ahmed, General Manager (Interim) at FinTech Association of Hong Kong. The event was moderated by Joanna Chin, founder of M4W group. The panel interacted with the audience and addressed a lot of questions from them. The panelists, each from a different background, shared their stories and personal lessons learnt.

The event was attended by the MBA students of HKU, HKUST and industry professionals. The event was followed by a brief networking session.

HKU MBA Leadership Talk – DHL

December 08, 2017

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It was a great honour for HKU MBA to host Mr. Mark Slade, Managing Director for DHL Global Forwarding Hong Kong and Macau, the freight and forwarding division of DHL, to give us a guest lecture on - “Head, Heart, and Guts” on December 8. The MBA Office is very glad to have received an overwhelming response to the talk with many comments on it, and to have had full-time and part-time students, and alumni participating in this event.

Mark explained in detail about the DHL leadership strategy and gave an overview of the logistics industry, especially in the Mainland China and Hong Kong region.

The audience came to have a deeper understanding of DHL, of Mark’s points of views on the logistics industry, how DHL manages its operations on a global scale, and the efforts that the employees take to ensure that customers get the best service.

Testimonial from current full-time student- Abhijit Sharma -

“The event was well organised and saw a huge turnout from the alumni, the Part time MBA batch, and the Full time MBA batch.

I have always been interested in the logistics industry. Mark not only gave us first-hand knowledge of DHL but also its competitors. He explained the important points about how DHL operates and how the company is trying to remain competitive in today’s circumstances. His experience in the industry truly impressed me.

One key thing I learnt from Mark was that one must always be looking forward to develop great working relationships with staff and employees because a motivated workforce makes achieving the organisational goals easier, this factor reinforces the importance of human capital in any organisation.”

Jumpstarter 2017 Grand Finale

November 21, 2017

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Jumpstarter 2017 was Hong Kong’s largest and most rigorous startup pitch event to date. Our students attended this startup conference where they met with entrepreneurs, startups, investors and local government. They all had wonderful experiences, especially gaining ideas from the teams entering Final Pitch including the top 3 winners, Inovo Robotics, En-trak and Farm 66, being inspired by the CEO talks, and hearing great advice from Mrs. Carrie Lam and Mr. Jack Ma.

Maison Capital Campus Talk

November 07, 2017

Maison Capital (“MC”) is a well-established private equity firm focusing on the consumer technology, consumer service and consumer lifestyle sectors, predominantly in mainland China. MC has successfully invested in numerous market leaders including DJI and grown together with these companies over the decade. The company partner and senior executives came to meet with our students for the 2018 full-time internship opportunities in Shenzhen / Beijing / Hong Kong and, most importantly, they talked about their invaluable work experience in the private equity Industry.

Calvin Klein In-store Event

November 02, 2017

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HKU’s MBA students and alumni had an exciting Thursday night at the Asia headquarters of Calvin Klein.

Liz Edmiston, Chief Brand Officer, Calvin Klein APAC, was the speaker for the evening. Speaking from her very relevant experience, Liz shared her thoughts on “Building a Career through Building Brands”, from a fashion angle. She spoke about her personal journey, the high points and the low points of her life and the lessons she learned from them. Topics such as branding, Calvin Klein’s journey and prospects for the next few years were discussed. This was followed by a Q&A session where Liz was joined by her team.

The students also got an exclusive sneak peek at the Spring 2018 collection, and champagne and canapés. Every attendee also received souvenirs from CK.

It was an inspiring and enjoyable session. We really appreciate the warmth with which the CK office hosted us.

Anusha Raheja, Full-time MBA, Class of 2018

President of Women in Leadership Club

Joint-U Halloween BBQ Party

October 29, 2017

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Leaves have started to fall and autumn is in full swing, marking the end of a hectic yet fruitful term for the full time MBA class of 2018. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of reports, tests and presentations. Now that the tempest has subsided, albeit temporarily, celebration begins.

The class representatives organised a joint event with the full time MBA class of 2018 from HKUST. With Halloween around the corner, it was apt to have a Halloween themed beach barbeque social gathering, a great way to meet our peers from the other university and connect. It took place on Shek-O beach and the location was a lively blend of sun, sand, drinks and great conversations.

Harsim Ranjit Singh, Full-time MBA, Class of 2018

Company Visit to Fidelity International HK Office

October 26, 2017

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Our student ambassador, Tiffany Zheng from Class of 2018 told us about her company visit to Fidelity, where she gave a few minutes of introduction to the HKU MBA programmes, which was well received by the audience and the firm.

“It was really rewarding that we got to learn about the company, including their recruiting, how Fidelity structures the different teams for the Hong Kong office, their training programme, and an employee’s typical career path. We gained a very clear picture of what we can expect if we get into the company.

I got to know more about Fidelity as a company. I also got a view of their investment strategy and portfolio construction methodology. The firm’s senior staff took us through some of the specific investments they have been making in the past, to give a clearer picture of the buy-side.”

Tiffany Zheng, Full-time MBA, Class of 2018

Fidelity International offers world class investment solutions and retirement expertise. Fidelity is a privately owned and independent company, investing USD $279 billion globally on behalf of clients in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Their clients range through pension funds, central banks, sovereign wealth funds, large corporates, financial institutions, insurers and wealth managers, to private individuals. In addition to asset management, Fidelity offers investment administration and guidance for employer benefit schemes, advisers and individuals in several countries. They are responsible for USD $83 billion in assets under administration.

Campus Talk with Gap

October 24, 2017

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The Gap recruitment team visited our Town Center on Oct 24th to promote their Leadership Development Programme (LDP) and its careers at Gap. The representatives from the Global Supply Chain Organisation delivered the business strategy, with its retail networks in more than 90 countries across multiple channels. Students learned about innovation in retail industry that has come from the factory, merchandising, inventory planning and logistics. Anupriya Goswami, Class of 2017, also joined and spoke about her valuable experience as an intern and her views about the programme.

Our students found this rotational programme very attractive because it provides exclusive access to management, training and resources. After successfully completing the programme, candidates will be placed in a full-time manager-level role in Gap.

Diwali Celebration 2017

October 21, 2017

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HKU MBA celebrates the festival of lights with the spirit of unity in diversity

The ancient Hindu festival of Diwali is celebrated across the world. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Diwali transcends borders and cultures. It is about being thankful for what we have been given and celebrating it with friends and family.

HKU MBA celebrates Diwali because it is an inspiring community that believes in creating bonds and appreciates varied ways of looking at the world.

To celebrate Diwali, class representatives of HKU MBA organised a celebration with an array of Indian food, drinks and music in honour of the "festival of lights”. The students who attended the event gave the culinary and cultural experience very positive reviews. They enjoyed the sumptuous Indian food, in particular, chicken curry, samosa, and crisp fried pastry. People couldn’t keep their fingers out of these delicious Indian dishes and finished them one-by-one. Non-Indian classmates dressed up in traditional Indian wear to brighten the party. Everyone danced together to the tunes of Indian music.

The multi-national class celebrates the festival of lights with the spirit of unity in diversity.

2017 Shenzhen Trek

October 19, 2017

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Shenzhen is becoming a major technology centre globally in terms of research and development and production of technology-led products and services. The MBA students in Class 2017-18 joined the Career Services team on a day-long excursion to Shenzhen in October 2017 to visit Tencent, Kaisa Golden Beach International Themed Entertainment Company and Hax Accelerator. Students attended the company presentations and also networked with senior business executives to learn about these three organisations, the success stories behind them, as well as career opportunities available to both Chinese and non-Chinese speakers.

Daiwa Capital Market Campus Talk

October 10, 2017

Six team members who look after Electronic Trading Solutions at Daiwa Capital Markets came to Town Centre on 10 October 2017 to tell MBA students how their solutions have automated the trading processes that many executives have come to know over the years. In addition, they spoke to students about a number of internship opportunities in the team. During the networking session with the Daiwa team, students came to appreciate how it is becoming more difficult to distinguish between office, back office and IT functions and that technology is now the backbone of the financial services industry.

Campus Talk with Practicus Consulting

September 29, 2017

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HKU MBA was the first business school in Hong Kong to host a campus talk with Practicus Consulting, which was held in September 2017. Four company representatives came to provide an overview of their global business and an insight into the consulting market in Hong Kong. They also gave examples of projects delivered, the challenges faced in the successful delivery as well as the type of talent that they are looking for in their growing business.

Deloitte MBA Recruiting Info Session

September 28, 2017

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Deloitte Consulting hosted 60 MBA students from HKU and HKUST at our HKU Admiralty Town Centre on 28 September 2017. We invited ten representatives from the Consulting Team to talk about the Deloitte culture, explain the evolution of the business and their human capital needs for the Greater China offices (Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing). Students learnt how Deloitte Consulting differentiates itself from other advisory/management consulting firms and they also came to understand what it takes to be a successful consultant. The students will be subsequently invited to attend the Consulting Career Panel and Case Practice Session organised by Deloitte to learn more about consulting and to brush up on their case cracking skills.

MBA Full-time & Part-time Mixer

September 17, 2017

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This was a great opportunity and pleasure for our full-time and part-time students to greet each other at the start of the MBA programmes. Although the backgrounds of FT and PT students are quite different, they mixed very well and had a good time mingling. Many of them were even reluctant to leave by the end. We hope this mixer brought FT and PT students closer to create more synergies and collaborations for their MBA life ahead and also that the friendships built in the programmes will be extended beyond the classroom.

Microsoft Insight Day

September 12, 2017

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The full-time MBA students at HKU MBA were amongst those invited to attend Microsoft Insight Day on 12 September 2017 at Microsoft’s office here at Cyberport. The forum showcased how the latest digital technology would be empowering organisations as well as individuals. In particular, senior executives were sharing their views on business transformation through AI, machine learning and robotics. Very importantly, our MBA students learnt about the details of the Microsoft Academy of College Hires programme, had an opportunity to network with the business leaders, and gained an insider view of what constitutes a “fit” in the Microsoft culture.

Fung Group Company Info Session 2017

September 10, 2017

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The Fung Group, the leading Hong Kong-based global trading, logistics, distribution and retailing conglomerate, has been a regular visitor to HKU’s MBA programme. The Programme for Management Development (PMD), launched in 2010, has been recruiting our students from year to year for the Group’s business and operational needs. HKU MBA was the first business school globally to host the Group’s PMD campus talk, beginning in 2013. In September 2017, five company representatives came to speak with members of the Class of 2018 about PMD. One of the representatives was Mr. Philip Hui, a member of the Class of 2011 who joined as a Management Associate, and is now Special Assistant to the Group Chairman, Dr. Victor Fung. Philip talked about his international and cross-functional exposure, as well as how he fast-tracked his career over the previous six years.

The Google Talk

August 21, 2017

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This was a highly-anticipated event which saw a huge turn-out from the Full-time MBA batch, Part-time MBA batch and alumni.

Ms. Leonie Valentine gave students a sneak peek into Google’s work environment, and spoke about the company’s unique corporate culture that encourages diversity and innovation. She was a very engaging speaker and had everyone’s full attention when she spoke about her experiences and current interests outside of work. She also motivated students to reflect on the importance of rethinking the current education system by putting emphasis on girls studying coding.

Students gave positive feedback about being inspired by her career progression from customer service to a role in managing sales & operations. By demonstrating the importance of perseverance, Ms. Leonie is definitely a role model for all students to look up to.

Interview Skills Enhancement Workshop

August 21, 2017

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Career Services team welcomed Mr. Jonathan Kwan, Managing Director of Kwantum Leap Group to conduct a workshop on “Interview Skills Enhancement” on 21 August 2017. The workshop equipped students with the necessary skills, such as awareness of what interviewers are assessing, the key points for interview preparation, and salary negotiation, and it also demonstrated non-technical interview skills. Most importantly, Jonathan pointed up valuable aspects of the interview process, which appear in the very early stage of contact and which might be overlooked by most candidates. The workshop was highly interactive and useful.

Testimonial from Students

“We have all attended some sort of interview or communications workshop in the past, whether in college or in our previous jobs. However, this Interview Enhancement Workshop was not only practical but also insightful. Most students neglect the importance of on-campus information sessions. If you think that information sessions are simply there for you to learn more about a company, think again! In reality, they are also an opportunity for the company to make a preliminary screening of the sea of applicants before the actual interviews begin! Sure, you may argue that it is impossible for recruiters to remember any candidate from an information session, but if you do succeed in leaving a positive image, this information may be passed along within the company, allowing you a greater chance of landing an interview.

In terms of the interview itself, the most important objective for any candidate is not to impress the interviewer by demonstrating all your strengths and achievements, but to be memorable. Can the interviewer still remember your achievements after ten back-to-back interviews on a busy afternoon? If not, then no matter how impressive your background is, your interview can be considered unsuccessful.”

Eric Leung, Full-time MBA Class of 2018

“Not only was the workshop challenging, Jonathan’s direct feedback for improving face to face Behavioural Interview Questions was invaluable. The workshop covered a lot of information on real-life job interview topics, delivered in concise chunks that were easy for us to understand. Jonathan also shared some inspiring stories from his past working experience in the consulting industry and coaching experiences at the world’s top business schools. He has a logical and effective method of teaching that truly connected with and inspired the students. I can’t speak highly enough of this Interview Skills Enhancement Workshop.”

Part-time MBA Orientation 2017

August 12, 2017

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The 1-day Part-time MBA Orientation on 12 August at SkyCity Marriott Hotel launched the programme for the new batch of students.

On the Saturday morning, with minds fresh and open to new ideas, the students received a warm welcome from our MBA Executive Director, Mr. Sachin Tipnis, who gave them vision and direction to help them leverage the MBA programme.

To help our MBA students prepare for the up-coming challenges, a team building workshop was held in the afternoon, which made students think outside regular bounds and learn to work as team. They were put into different groups with mixed backgrounds and worked together to complete various missions. They understood the importance of working as a team within the team but, through the workshop, they realised that inter-team cooperation would bring even greater synergy.

During the full-day orientation, new part-time students got to know their classmates for the coming two years and also friends for life.

Career Journey Workshop

August 10, 2017

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On 10 August, 2017, Ms. Joanna Chin, Principal of M4W Group came to Town Centre to conduct a workshop on ‘Career Journey’. Joanna began her career as a corporate lawyer over 20 years ago, working principally in the area of mergers and acquisitions before becoming an executive coach. The workshop provided students the time for self-reflection, and enabled them to articulate their unique attributes for potential employers. Students gained clarity in identifying their personal traits, core values, passion, strengths, skills and achievements. They also gathered valuable tips for the career journey.

Testimonial from Student

“Placements should happen as an outcome of a sweet spot between 3 Whats. 'What am I good at?’'What is it that I enjoy doing?’ 'What can I contribute to this world’ Most of us, while in the early stages of our career or in the middle of it, forget at least one of the three 'Whats' because of either the pace we adopt or the direction we choose to go in. And gradually, we arrive at a mismatch that results in discontentment within ourselves. Ms. Joanna Chin rightly called the session a 'Journey' as every part of it had a fact-finding exercise, implication, and a resulting message. I highly recommend that every individual who is working presently or wishes to work in future, should live this journey. It not only helps to know oneself better but also makes one stronger and more confident to take better informed decisions.

A curious, excited and, throughout, captivated group of students from diverse backgrounds in FT MBA batch proved that this was one of the best coaching lessons they had ever attended.”

Business Transformation on Digitalisation

August 08, 2017

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The social media and social networking industry has grown very fast in the past couple years. On 8 August 2017, Career Services team was proud to host Mr. Micson Kwong, Business Director of E-Commerce of Facebook in Greater China to talk to our students about business transformation from digitalisation. Mr. Kwong introduced their brand, the impact of mobile revolution, the consumer trend and their strategies for success. One of his most insightful disclosures was their vision for growing the internet connection for their future business. Students had also learned about the company culture of Facebook which was highly appreciated by their staff.

Testimonial from Students

”It’s was our great pleasure to welcome Mr. Micson Kwong, the business director of E-commerce of Facebook in Greater China. He gave us a brief introduction to Facebook and its app industrial cluster. We were all impressed by the attention Facebook has paid to specific sections of the social media market. Mr. Kwong then clarified the ultimate purpose of Facebook, which goes far beyond the business itself to be concerned with the revolution in technology and the common welfare of mankind. Finally, he also shared the dynamic and innovative company culture of Facebook. Through this industrial sharing session, the class not only strengthened their understanding of Facebook as a company, but also acquired invaluable information about the application of technology and social media and their increasing impact on global business itself.”

Tom Liu, Full-time MBA Class of 2018

Students were especially excited to have a sharing session with an expert working with familiar social media platforms. Through this talk, we learnt that Facebook actually does much more than just connect people - We were exposed to the business side of the platform and the role it plays in the booming e-commerce industry. It was enlightening to hear about mobile trends and user patterns from another perspective, and this opportunity definitely changed our views of how things work in the social media giant. Mr. Kwong also shared his experiences and tips for students exploring careers in e-commerce.

The Emerging Chinese Banks in the Asia Investment Banking Industry

August 07, 2017

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On 7 August 2017, Career Services were honoured to have Mr. Paul Au, Head of Fixed Income at China Merchants Bank International to share his experience of the emerging Chinese banks in the Asia investment banking industry. It gave our MBA candidates an opportunity to obtain crucial market insights directly from a source rather than a case study or a textbook. Students speaking to decision makers in the finance industry also allows them not only to find out about the changes that have been happening in the sector, but also to gain insight into where fixed income as an asset class and bond trading are heading in China, Hong Kong and Asia. The talk was very well received.

Testimonial from Students

“His insights on how to best enter the job market as an MBA graduate were especially useful since, as a non-Mandarin speaker, there is an additional hurdle to overcome. By gathering knowledge from senior figures and experts like him, you stand a chance of excelling in an interview and progressing in the recruitment process, something that would be increasingly difficult otherwise.“

Albert Torstensson, Full-time MBA Class of 2018

“Mr. Au was a great asset to us speaking on emerging Chinese banks in our Asian investment banking industry workshop. His understanding of Asia banking markets comes from almost 12 years in the industry and he was very informative about the structure of banks and capital markets in Asia and particularly Hong Kong. His experience in foreign and domestic banks in Hong Kong meant that he had valuable knowledge to share with us. Mr. Au gave us a fascinating session and any further opportunity to listen to him should be taken. Thank you Mr. Au.“

Industry Sharing – Marketing, Branding & Strategy

August 05, 2017

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On Saturday 5 August 2017, Career Services invited Ms. Julie Chiu, General Manager of Customer Relationship Development for SmarTone to share with MBA students her extensive experience working in local and regional marketing across different industries covering insurance, FMCG, banking and telecommunications. She introduced what marketing is, its structure and the different functions available in the marketing field. Julie also shared useful insights about the industry and offered valuable advice on job searching and interviews. Students not only learnt about the industry but also the reality as a marketer.

Testimonial from Student

“Ms. Julie Chiu delivered a lecture that turned out to be an eye opener for many of the classmates, busting several myths regarding the marketing industry. Moreover, Ms. Chiu supplemented various facts with relevant data points. Personally, I found the lecture to be an enlightening one which in turn would help me narrow down my career choices.”

Alumni Panel Discussion 2017

August 05, 2017

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The Alumni Services and Career Services teams organised an alumni panel discussion for our current full-time MBA students on August 5th. We invited alumni who are currently living and working in Hong Kong to share their “MBA Life”. The panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Sachin Tipnis, Executive Director of the MBA Programmes. We discussed topics on time management skill, networking opportunity and group case presentations during the session. After the panel discussion, the MBA Office also organised a networking session at the Liberty in Central so that students were able to interact with the alumni in a cozy environment.

Hong Kong Capital Markets and M&A

August 04, 2017

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On 4 August 2017, Career Services invited Mr. Richard Winter, Director of Quam Limited and CEO of Quam Capital to Campus to share his experience of working in Hong Kong in the investment industry. He explained how the industry has evolved, the regulatory landscape surrounding the stock exchanges in Hong Kong, the emergence of Chinese clients and financial services institutions, as well as the career opportunities available across the different functions. Richard talked about some of the qualifications that are most valued by employers in the industry. One particular discussion, in which students asked numerous questions, focused on how disruptive technology would impact the industry as a whole, in the long term.

Testimonial from Student

“It was a pleasure to have Mr. Winter as our speaker for the Hong Kong Capital Markets and M&A workshop. Mr. Winter is very knowledgeable about Asia markets and has witnessed changes in the industry over the past 20 years. He also introduced the major transactions that have taken place in the industry and he had all the answers to our questions on the banking industry. Mr. Winter also emphasised the compliance and regulation side of the industry. I commend him and his team in Quam Capital for making the session so worthwhile. Thank you Mr. Winter.“

Industry Sharing – Private Equity / Venture Capital / Hedge Fund

August 03, 2017

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On 3 August 2017, Career Services team was excited to have Mr. Gregoire Dechy back to give an Industry Sharing session on Private Equity / Venture Capital / Hedge Funds. Gregoire has over 15 years of markets experience, in which he has specialised in asset management and operations in hedge funds / private equity. Gregoire walked the students through a case about an Indian company which received funding from a Chinese e-commerce company, the landscape of the PE/VC/HF industry and he shared his perception of trends in supporting functions that our MBA candidates could look into. Through the open discussion, students learnt about what skill sets are required and how to be well prepared to pursue a career in the industry.

Testimonial from student

“The PE/VC/HF Industry Sharing session conducted by Gregoire Dechy was an eye opener. Mr. Dechy has years of experience in these industries and had a lot to share with us. He did well in making the session as interactive as possible and he allowed us to contribute the experiences and knowledge we have of the industry, as well. As someone who has no experience in this field, I found it very informative and helpful in understanding the different aspects of private equities, venture capital firms and hedge funds. He also did a really good job of showing us that sometimes we need look no further than our fellow classmates for information.“"

Industry Sharing – Asset Management

August 01, 2017

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Industry Sharing – Asset Management

On 1 August 2017, the Career Services team invited Mr. Gregoire Dechy to give an Industry Sharing session on asset management. Gregoire has over 15 years of markets experience, in which he has specialised in asset management and operations in hedge fund / private equity. He covered certain general concepts of asset management, a case study on SAC & Point72, the global financial crisis, and the structural change in the financial industry. He also shared a useful source for Hong Kong fund management and some good books on the subject. Most importantly, he helped students to identify their career interests and suitability in the asset management industry and to plan ahead.

Testimonial from Student

“When we talk about asset management, which is a hardcore financial discipline, normally it doesn’t excite people working outside that industry. Mr. Dechy’s industry sharing session on asset management managed to change that perspective completely and got so many people from our class excited and eager to join the industry. He introduced the basic concepts of the discipline and shared some of his fascinating experiences. The interactive nature of the session meant that the entire class participated very enthusiastically.“

Inside the Consulting Industry & Case Cracking

August 01, 2017

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The case cracking workshop was held on August 1, 2017, organised by Career Services team. We were happy to have Mr. Giles Brennand, a management consultant with over 20 years of experience in senior leadership, as our speaker.

Case cracking is an interview technique historically used in consulting interviews; but, these days, almost all companies use them, in some variation, during their interview processes. As such, the Case Cracking Workshop has been designed to help our students understand the interview process better with real-world examples. Having to actively participate in comprehensive case exercises, students structured analysis, and so were able to learn more about case analysis. The interactive sharing from Mr. Brennand brought us great insights into consultancy, enriching our career development plans for the industry.

Testimonial from Students

“Mr. Giles Brennand shared his extensive knowledge and experience in the consulting industry with us through both an informational talk and an eye opening crash course in case interviews. His tough but patient style was the perfect introduction to the challenges we'll face throughout our course and in landing our first post-MBA job. His personal insights garnered from his time at Boston Consulting Group and the information he provided us with on the state of consulting companies in East Asia and ASEAN was of great value to myself and my peers, helping us plan and adjust our career goals.“

Peter Chestnut, Full-time MBA, Class of 2018

“Case studies are an integral part of the MBA journey. From assignments to job interviews, cracking them well is critical. The MBA class of 2018 commenced its own MBA journey with a great workshop on Case study cracking by Mr. Giles Brennand. Mr. Brennand is a well seasoned professional in consulting and financial practice with broad experience from working with BCG, PwC, Accenture, and Booze and Co.

The class was given a case study and everyone worked together on getting the final answer. The aim was to identify the right framework to solve a problem at hand. We were coached in asking the right questions, looking for answers, making the right assumptions and breaking the problem down.

It was a great session to lay the right foundation for solving case problems. We are extremely thankful to Mr. Brennand and the Career Services team for this valuable session.”

Industry Sharing – Marketing and PR in HK

July 31, 2017

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The Full-time MBA I3 Career Development Series kicked off with the first session of industry sharing, organised by our Career Services team. We were honoured to have Ms. Emma Smith, CEO of MHP Communications Hong Kong, share with us her expertise in PR and Marketing. Emma told us about the current industry trends, what public relations actually is, and gave insights into thought leadership and the storytelling power of social media. There was more. She gave our MBA valuable tips on building up their personal brand. Lots of questions were generated from the floor.

Testimonial from Student

“Ms Emma Smith gave a broad but detailed overview of the PR industry, which most students were unfamiliar with. The talk was truly insightful and has changed the perspectives of students about PR, especially its role in more familiar business areas like Financial Services. It was a great experience for me personally too as a task force member, for the opportunity to get close and personal with an industry expert.”

Amanda Gan, Full-time MBA Class of 2018

Headhunting in Hong Kong

July 31, 2017

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Mr. Tom Bispham, Managing Director of MA Capital, which manages investments in mining projects globally for the Mining Associates Group, came to campus on 31 July 2017 to give a talk to MBA students, organised by Career Services team, on the topic of Headhunting in Hong Kong. Tom has some 35 years of experience as a project finance banker and investment banker. He walked the students through the landscape of the banking industry and shared many industry insights, trends, skill sets requirements, and practical tips on networking and interview preparation with the MBA students. The students found that the sharing was really useful for preparing to join the banking industry in Hong Kong.

Testimonial from Student

“The Headhunting in Hong Kong workshop conducted by Tom Bispham was very insightful. Mr. Bispham covered a wide variety of things to be aware of when networking and working with a recruiter, from points as simple as having a firm handshake and making eye contact to asking for informational interviews. My biggest takeaway from this session was that little things matter when you are trying to build relationships with people in your network.“

Full-time MBA Orientation 2017

A warm welcome to the Full-Time Class of 2018! The 2-day orientation marked the beginning of a new chapter in life for our MBAs from across 19 nationalities.

Unlike the usual orientations which help students to break the ice and get to know each other, our students had already built friendships during the China Immersion Programme in Beijing and were ready to take up challenges in the coming year together as a team.

The MBA office previewed the intensive 14-month MBA programme, including the detailed course information, the series of career exercises, and the abundant enrichment and networking opportunities. Students are excited about all these chances and challenges which are what they are looking for to help them step out of their comfort zones. As the inspirational quote from Jim Rohn says, “Enjoy all you have while pursuing all you want.”

HKU MBA Community Drinks

July 16, 2017

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The MBA office hosted a community drinks at Armani Prive on Jul 16th, wherein all current full-time, part-time students, graduating students and alumni are invited. It was a good opportunity for each participant to get connected with others within the community in a cozy environment. Also, the current students took this opportunity to congratulate the graduating students on their great achievement in completing the MBA journey.

Celebration – HKU MBA Ranked Top Programme in Asia for Finance

June 28, 2017

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To celebrate HKU MBA being ranked No. 12 in the world and is the No. 1 Asian school in the Financial Times Top MBAs for Finance, the MBA Office hosted a networking event with recruiting partners from both financial services and non-financial services sectors. Close to 50 representatives from banks, PE/VC firms, the Big 4 organisations, consulting houses, FMCG, TMT and e-commerce organisations, as well as recruitment firms, came together to talk about employment trends in their industries. In addition, members of the MBA Career Services team discussed with the guests additional collaboration activities and how to further strengthen the partnership.

Part-time MBA Welcome Drinks 2017

June 10, 2017

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On June 10, welcome drinks were held at Liberty Exchange Kitchen & Bar in Central for the incoming part-time students. This was the first event for the new part-time students and it provided an opportunity for them to meet and interact with their future classmates. As the students come from very diverse backgrounds and industries and from a spread of countries too, they had many interesting topics and experiences to share. The whole class of this new batch will gather again in the August orientation programme to strengthen their group bonding and team spirit.

Entrepreneurship Club

March 22, 2017

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“Bridging the Gap between Start-ups and Corporates”, was a cohosted event on March 22, 2017 between the HKU and HKUST MBA programmes. Our objective was to bring together the entrepreneurial students of the two MBA communities whilst delivering meaningful content.

Testimonial from students

Steven Gibson, Part-time MBA, Class of 2017

"The event received strong support with over 80 attendees on the night. Our speakers and panelists from KPMG, Microsoft, Lane Crawford, Brinc Plus and Gormei provided the audience with great insight into the current challenges start-ups and corporates face when working with each other, plus some helpful advice on bridging the gap. Some tips included:

start-ups need to focus and be clear on their value proposition when approaching corporates,

corporates must get ready for the next wave of innovation to hit them, especially professional services, and

in the end, being nice goes a long way!

Thank you to HKU MBA community for your support in setting up and running this event and attending. We hope you got as much out of this as we did. "

Testimonial from Tanuj Bathla, Full-time MBA, Class of 2017

"I was one of the organisers of the HKU/HKUST event titled ‘Bridging the gap’ along with Steve Gibson (fellow HKU MBA) and Tonia Yim (HKUST MBA). The theme for the event was showing how large corporations and startups could collaborate better to learn from each other. We had a great lineup of speakers from companies like KPMG, Lane Crawford, Microsoft and several others. Not only did this event show how companies from different industries could better collaborate but it was also a great way for members of HKU and HKUST to collaborate. This event helped everyone involved build up their networks and learn about the challenges that everyone in the Hong Kong ecosystem was facing.

We had strong support from the students and teams of both schools. Members of our admin team and teaching staff also came to show their support and we thought this was a great gesture and truly showed how members of HKU are all part of a big family."

Shanghai Trek

March 21, 2017

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The Career Services team organised an excursion to Shanghai for the full-time MBA students to meet with recruiting partners, including EY, Intel, PayPal, Richemont, Memebox, Yoox Net-A-Porter and many more. In addition, students were introduced to HR consulting firms such as Bó Lè and Kelly Services during the trip. Students learnt about the career landscape in general in Mainland China, as well as specific opportunities within different industry sectors. In addition, there was a networking event for students to mingle with HKU MBA alums and other business leaders based in the city.

Sharing from Sia Partners

March 15, 2017

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Two representatives from Sia Partners came to Town Centre to walk students through this boutique consulting firm’s culture and its services to clients in Asia. In addition, they delivered a presentation on cybercrime, in particular the cost of and impact of cyber-related criminal activities on today’s economy, the nature of the threats, and the technologies companies are using to mitigate the risks. The team further explored IT projects that Sia Partners undertakes to help clients in the financial services industry navigate the cybercrime landscape and the recent regulatory pressure in Asia. Finally, they met with students informally, one-on-one to explore their career interests and potential fit into the organisation.

MBA Farewell Party

March 11, 2017

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On Saturday March 11th, 2017, the HKU MBA Full-Time class held a Farewell Party at ABOVE in Ovolo Southside Hotel. The party was a farewell event held before many in the full-time class depart for international exchange programmes at Columbia Business School in the US, London Business School in the UK, and Fudan University in China.

Halfway into the evening, there was a slideshow presentation featuring various moments from the full-time class programme. Included were pictures of the China Immersion Programme at BLCU in summer 2016, of the Orientation Programme, and of festive events like Diwali, Christmas, and Chinese New Year. Students enjoyed the food, drinks, and music at the event and memorable group photos were taken. The highlight of the night was the awards presentation to the “outstanding” ones from the full-time class. Students had previously voted online for several categories including “Best Speaker”, “Most likely to be CEO”, etc. There was a great deal of laughing and joking when the winners were presented with their certificates and made short speeches.

All in all, the Farewell Party was a success. Students and staff enjoyed the celebratory mood and it will be remembered by all as a positive highlight of their MBA experience.

“One of the goals of the event was to bring the full-time class closer together to support a strong alumni network for HKU in the future. Our students are very diverse and will likely work in different industries, functions, and regions after graduation. When future HKU students reach out to us for guidance in the future, we may be able to re-direct questions to our fellow classmates of the Class of 2017 since we know each other fairly well.“

Infiniti Motors Information Session

March 10, 2017

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Infiniti Motors came to Town Centre in March 2017 to discuss the evolution of the company and, specifically, how this subsidiary of Nissan Motors came to establish its global headquarters in Hong Kong, its product line-up, and the future roadmap. The HR team discussed the internship programme through which the organisation is aiming to recruit high-calibre MBA talent as part of the succession pipeline for future leadership positions within the organisation. Most importantly, students learnt about career development opportunities within both Infiniti and Nissan.

Finance Talks

March 07, 2017

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On 7 March 2017, the Career Services team invited Mr. Charles-Henri Larreur who traveled from France to talk about Securitization and Infrastructure Finance to the class. On Securitization, the speaker guided students through the maze of securitization and helped them to understand what went wrong in the financial crisis in 2008, and how the hedge fund managers saw the crisis coming. In the second session, the speaker described the scope of project finance, and used different case studies to help students to understand why it has become the world’s most sought after asset class in less than a decade. Overall the talks were very engaging and informative.

Testimonial from Student

"The aim of the finance talk was to familiarise ourselves with the nuances of Securitization and Infrastructure finance. Charles explained these concepts in a very lucid way, using examples to make it easy to follow the complexities that lie behind Securitization and Infrastructure financing. It was also quite fascinating to find out what triggered the 2008 global financial crises and how some hedge fund managers saw the crisis coming and made a huge bet against the market. It was interesting to learn how project financing differs from corporate financing and when it is beneficial to use one over the other."

Nirav Gala, Full-time MBA, Class of 2017

Guest Lecture on "Futures Trading and AI in Investment Management

March 03, 2017

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On 3 March, Mr. Musheer Ahmed, Senior Consultant at GreySpark Partners as well as HKU MBA Alumnus from the Class of 2015, offered us a guest lecture on the topic “Futures Trading and AI in Investment Management”.

“Mr. Musheer Ahmed’s talk on ‘Futures Trading and AI in Investment Management’ was very insightful and entertaining. With his knowledge in Machine Learning, Deep Learning and AI, it really added up to a lot of engagement. A simulation of trading proved to be a good break and divided the session nicely. As the host, I really enjoyed introducing him and got good support from him.

The presentation neatly divided in two decks. First, the technology was explained. There was the break for simulation and audience participation, and then it continued with trading, key people, companies and trends.

Talking about technology, money, AI and wine, with who better than our alum, was an optimum way of spending Friday night.”

Sharing from Income Partners

February 28, 2017

Mr. Shen Tan, Partner at Income Partners Asset Management, came to Town Centre to speak with the full-time students on how the organisation was set up more than 20 years ago and is now a market leader in Asian fixed income products, when most investment firms have been focusing on equity. He also mentioned the rationale that led him to join this smaller, more entrepreneurial company, and how he was able to add value. He explained the skills sets that he is looking for as he continues to expand his team, as well as his personal experience and philosophy on how to grow within an investment house and the types of characters that tend to be the most successful.

Finance Club Talk

February 25, 2017

The Student Finance Club invited Mr. Eric Sim, the former managing director of an investment bank, to give a presentation on the topic of “Key Skills for Climbing the Corporate Ladder”. In his talk, the speaker explained the life skills essential for climbing the corporate ladder in investment banking. Mr. Sim was also able to share insights with those students who were interested in consulting and startup businesses. The talk was very well received and the speaker remained afterwards to mingle with the students.

Testimonial from Student

"The Finance Club talk by Eric Sim was an interactive session in which he set out ten key tips on management, based on the lessons he had learned and the mantras by which he led his own life. Eric worked in several banks until finally reaching managing director level in UBS. Identifying himself as a banker, lecturer, trainer, and blogger, he began with a story about working on a family hawker stall which taught him organisation and time management. He also revealed his unconventional approaches to life such as minimising clothing choices and grading his classes based on social media metrics. This was an informative session about which students were interested to learn more."

People Leadership Workshop

February 19, 2017

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The Career Services team organised a workshop on the topic of People Leadership for our MBA students. On the morning of Sunday, 19 February 2017, Ms. Karan See shared her thoughts and went through lots of activities and discussions with our students. Ms. See also invited students to do a survey before the workshop to find out their strengths. It was well received and helped students to understand more about what leadership is and to think about different facets of leadership.

Testimonial from Student

Testimonials from student

Testimonials from student

"On the 19th of February. Ms. Karen See hosted an insightful career workshop on People Leadership. Through a personal survey, we were able to learn about our unique strengths and values, as well as the different types of leadership styles that we might identify with.

A series of self-awareness exercises helped us to understand where we could best apply those strengths in our workplace that allow us to feel fulfilled, and we also focused on how to engage and motivate others for more effective leadership and collaboration to ensure success for everyone.

We loved Karen’s confidence, energy and enthusiasm for teaching and we would be excited to have her back."

HKU MBA - LBS Sundowners

February 09, 2017

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Invited by the London Business School Hong Kong Alumni Club (LBSHKAC), the HKU MBA students and alumni had an opportunity to join “LBS Sundowners” on 9 Feb. It is a traditional, regular networking event where LBS alumni gather and have drinks.

Our students and alumni were delighted to meet with these professionals from a prestigious business school to extend their social and professional network. LBS track students were also getting useful tips to prepare for their coming exchange.

The two communities mixed well with each other on various topics. Our students and alumni look forward to having more interaction with different professional communities in future.

Daiwa Capital Markets Company Information Session

February 08, 2017

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The team that looks after Electronic Trading Solutions at Daiwa Capital Markets came to Town Centre to share with MBA students how their solutions have automated the trading processes that many executives have come to know over the years, and how they have increased connectivity and mitigated against risks in the market. In addition, students learnt about a number of internship opportunities within the organisation. During the networking session with the Daiwa team, students also came to appreciate how it is becoming more difficult to distinguish amongst front office, back office and IT functions and that technology is now the backbone of the financial services industry.

Visit to Hong Kong International Airport

February 07, 2017

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On 7 February, our MBA students visited Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the world's busiest cargo gateway and one of the world's busiest passenger airports. Mr.Chui, representing HKIA, received us and introduced the students to the developments, opportunities and challenges at the airport.

With the drastic increase in the number of flights and cargos, especially with the growth from the emerging budget airline market, not only are the traditional airlines facing keen competition, the airport is also facing challenges of almost saturated runways and full traffic and parking capacity. It had been planning for the development of a third runway since 2008 to accommodate the growing capacity. Besides gaining the approval from the government, the airport also needs to get support and a consensus from the general public, as well as strike a balance between development and protection of the environment.

To help the students to have a better understanding of the daily operation of this very important infrastructure in Hong Kong, they were given the exclusive opportunity to visit the Integrated Airport Centre (IAC) and a tour of the airfield to see the operations and facilities on the apron.

HNA Company Information Session

January 25, 2017

HNA Group came to Town Centre in January 2017 to share their company profile with the full-time MBA students. Established in the 1990s, the group has a number of business divisions, including tourism, infrastructure, capital, logistics and EcoTech. Mr. Alex Lanoie, a member of the class of 2016, who joined HNA in the investment function, explained what attracted him to the organisation and the types of career opportunities that are available to MBA students, particularly given that the organisation continues to expand. One-on-one interviews for students with the recruiting team took place after the information session.

Singapore Trek

January 17, 2017

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The Career Services team organised an excursion to Singapore for the full-time MBA students to meet with recruiting partners. 10 company visits took place across a number of different industry sectors, including Google, OCBC, Mapletree, Transfer-To, Infosys Consulting and more. Students learnt about career opportunities in the country, and gained insights into the work permit application process. In addition, Career Services organised a networking event for students to mingle with HKU MBA alums based in Singapore and other business contacts.

Alumni Panel Discussion

January 15, 2017

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The Career Services team and Alumni Services organised our first alumni panel discussion for our current full-time MBA students. We invited alumni who are currently living and working in Hong Kong to share their career achievements and professional experiences with our students. The panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Sachin Tipnis, Executive Director of the MBA Programmes. We discussed topics on career strategy, career transition, job hunting skills and industry insights during the session. We also organised a networking session after the panel discussion so that students were able to interact with the alumni.

Testimonials from alumni

"It's my honour to have been invited to attend the panel discussion 'Career Progression after MBA', as one of the alumni panelists, on January 15. During the 2-hour session, we shared with the full-time students many personal experiences in career development, networking and job hunting. It was so good that I really wish I could have received this type of valuable guidance when I was studying a few years back. Of it all, I particularly liked Laurence’s comment on how classmates supported each other to achieve the maximum benefit as a group. With their collective wisdom gathered, I'm sure the current batch students will succeed in landing their dream jobs soon."

Tim Chan, Full-time MBA, Class of 2012

"January is an exciting time for HKU MBA students when the academics in Hong Kong wrap up, preparations for exchanges begin and job hunting activities gear up. It was a great honour to be part of the speaker panel amongst the outstanding HKU alumni. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about how other alumni have accelerated their careers, reflect on how I began my post-MBA career in Microsoft and learn about the encouraging internship experiences from the current students. It is always a pleasure to be part of HKU MBA events and I look forward to learning from participants in future."

Ron Kwok, Full-time MBA, Class of 2016

Testimonials from student

"The alumni panel discussion was held on January 15, 2017. The event was moderated by the Executive Director, Sachin Tipnis and saw a brilliant turnout from alumni across the various batches and representing different industries.

The alumni shared with us their experiences of how they dealt with various challenges in getting their first job after the MBA. Each one had a different story to tell and I am sure everyone in the audience was able to relate to some of the stories.

My conversation with other full-time students who attended the event revealed that they found the session very useful because the experiences of the alumni would help them navigate their own journey to landing the dream job. We all look forward to the next session to be held in February."

Chinese New Year Celebration

January 14, 2017

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The HKU FT MBA Chinese New Year event was held on the 14th of January 2017 and students enjoyed the festivities. The idea was for guests to enjoy different types of Chinese cuisine and learn more about ways Chinese New Year is celebrated in various countries. It began with a formal welcoming and the traditional "yu sheng" (prosperous toss) before the dining began on dishes that varied from Sichuan to Cantonese.

During the dining, presentations on Chinese New Year were held in which participants could win red packets. Then games involving Chinese customs such as calligraphy were held, with participants forming teams.

Finally, symbolic red packets were given from married students to unmarried ones. Everyone also had the opportunity to try different types of baijiu (the traditional Chinese alcoholic liquor).

Overall, the event was an enjoyable time in which everyone participated and learnt more about the Chinese New Year.

Leadership Talk by Amoy Food

Henry Yim, Group Managing Director of Amoy Food Ltd, drew a large crowd when he spoke to the HKU MBA community on the subject of “How my life story shapes my leadership style.” on January 6, 2017.

Mr. Yim was very generous, sharing his personal experiences as well as lessons learned during the course of his successful career He drew from a variety of experiences including his childhood and what he learned in his schooling, his strong grounding in scientific thinking and his climb up the management ladder.

Mr. Yim’s appeal to the audience was evident, as students and alumni peppered him with questions for almost 30 minutes after his presentation. He addressed a variety of queries, including how to work with different cultures, specifically Japanese versus French management, applications of kaizen among the factory workers of Amoy, and marketing lessons in how to appeal to Hong Kong tastes- by learning from the local experts. A reception held afterwards allowed further conversations, and attendees enjoyed a spread of refreshments.

We appreciate Mr. Yim for sharing his evening with us and engaging us with his entertaining and educational personal history.

Visit to HK International Terminals

January 05, 2017

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The HKU MBA students visited the Kwai Tsing Hong Kong International Terminal (HIT) which is one of the busiest container terminals in the world. HIT is reputed for its productivity, efficiency and value-added services.

The representative from HIT presented the history and development of HIT as well as the worldwide footprint of Hutchison Port Holdings Group. The MBA students were then brought to the control tower and shown the state-of-the-art computer system which was built in-house to cater to the needs of this unique container port and allow maximisation of the efficiency of the port operation.

HIT arranged a port yard tour in which our students could observe closely the operation of cranes and transportation of containers.

Students were inspired by the visit and saw how this oldest of industries looks for continuous improvement to stay competitive in global competition. They also better understood how they strengthen their logistics chain to strive for prolonged success.

Sharing from Haitong International Securities Group

December 13, 2016

Haitong International Securities Group came to Town Centre to meet with our Chinese-speaking full-time students who are interested in the financial services industry. The session was led by Henry Shi, Chief Executive of Corporate Finance, who talked about his career history of over 20 years in investment banking, and how he came to join Haitong after previously only having worked for international banks. He spoke of the gradual evolution of Chinese firms into powerhouses in investment banking, as well as Haitong’s organisational structure in Hong Kong. The presentation was followed by a light-hearted discussion from which students learned about the daily routines of professionals in the investment banking field.

Social Engagement Club Event

December 13, 2016

After a festive Christmas party with our MBA classmates, we decided it was the time of year to celebrate this festival in a different way – to touch the lives of children who do not have the same opportunity to celebrate as others do. We chose to share the Christmas spirit with the children at the Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired on Pokfulam Road, a school that greatly helps the disabled community in Hong Kong.

At noon on December 13th, we arrived at the Ebenezer School with 200 hand-wrapped gift bags and our classmates, including Hannes, dressed up as Santa Claus for the kids. When everyone had assembled, the Principal brought us to meet the students who were gathered and waiting in the hall for their surprise.

‘Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way’; Santa has come to school!! What could have been a better way to end our semester and the year than sharing Christmas with 70 excited children, brimming with energy and happiness.

On seeing Santa Claus, all the children wanted to shake hands with him. As we distributed gifts to them, their faces beamed with smiles.

It was so much fun distributing gifts, singing Christmas carols in different languages, and
simply talking to them. We also had the chance to take some photos together. Just doing these simple things brought happiness to us as well, and granted us an opportunity to see another side of life here in Hong Kong.

We often underestimate the power of a smile, a listening ear, a kind word, the smallest act of caring or an honest compliment. These little things have immense potential to turn a life around. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to come across hearts full of grace and make some small difference. We will cherish our memories from the Ebenezer School.

We would like to thank Sachin for granting us the permission to have an official club for Community Service as well as all the members of the MBA Office, and every single member of our club who spent their precious time to help us with the logistics, gift wrapping and attending the event.

Refresher Session on Cover Letter

December 07, 2016

The Career Services teams invited Ms. Marlene Chan, who has a background as a head hunter, to conduct a workshop in December, 2016 on the topic of “How to write an effective cover letter” and give individual guidance sessions for students. At the workshop, the coach shared with the students some of the elements vital to writing a good cover letter, which included who reads cover letters, the purpose of writing one, and its format. Some sample cover letters were also discussed at the workshop. Our coach also met with students in individual sessions to offer them guidance on how to enhance their tailor-made cover letters.

"The instructor, Ms. Marlene Chan is a highly experienced ‘guru’ in the recruiting industry, with considerable knowledge and sharp views on different industries in Hong Kong and China. During the talk, she gave very clear rules and suggestions on structuring a cover letter. She then gave precise advice on specific posts and on our profiles, through individual sessions. The knowledge she shared as an experienced hiring manager was most helpful to me, because it gave me an idea of what recruiters look for in a CV and cover letter. I rate this session with Ms. Chan very highly!"

Isabel He

Full-time MBA, Class of 2017

Consulting Skills for Professionals

December 06, 2016

The Career Services team organised a talk on the topic of “Consulting Skills for Professionals” on 6 December, 2016. Mr. Ray Ng, who is a seasoned consulting and finance professional, explained the skills in and gave tips on working as a consultant. He provided a better understanding of the consulting process, its techniques, how it works, and on how to make effective consulting presentations.

"The fast-changing business environment has changed how consultants solve real life strategic problems for clients. As future consultants, b-school students need to be trained in the entire value chain that consulting projects go through, right from the proposal stage to presenting the final deliverable. Mr. Ray Ng, a seasoned consultant, proficiently took the class through how consultants work in real life and the skill sets that are imperative at every stage of the project. The report writing section of the workshop gave the group valuable insights into how to prepare an effective analysis for C-suit executives. Personally, the highlight of the course was the “so what?” curiosity successful consultants possess that help them dig deep into problems and come out with innovative solutions."

Priyank Gandhi

Full-time MBA Class of 2017

Christmas Party 2016

December 03, 2016

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The HKU MBA Full Time Class of 2017 celebrated the start of the festive season on December 3rd at the Cyberport 4 Hall. Adorned with red, green, gold and silver decorations, the hall basked in the warmth of the Christmas spirit.

Guests entered the venue in an equally festive mood, dressed in their casual sweaters to be greeted by tables offering bunches of candy canes and nicely decorated with traditional Christmas ornaments. The buffet table had a wide selection of festive Christmas dishes such as roast turkey, baked orange and honey glazed ham, cottage pie, Christmas log cake, ginger bread cookies, and chocolate peppermint cookies to name a few.

After dinner ended, the programme resumed with a presentation explaining what Christmas meant for Christians as well as the story of the birth of Jesus Christ followed by two exciting Christmas games, ‘’Build a Snowman’’ and ‘’White Elephant’’.

In ‘’Build a Snowman’’, the students were divided into 5 groups and were tasked to build their own version of a snowman using only the materials provided. The class’ competitiveness was brought out by this game and they became even more competitive during “White Elephant”. Students exchanged gifts and were given the liberty to steal gifts such as umbrellas, scarves, bottles of wine, chairs, and so on.

The night ended with a pleasant surprise. Santa Claus came to town bearing small loot bags of gifts. The loot bags were filled with chocolates, candies and, Christmas ornaments. The night ended on a good note for both the naughty and the nice.

Bloomberg Company Visit

November 30, 2016

Bloomberg hosted the MBA students at their office in Hong Kong where they explained the evolution of the company from its inception in the 1980s to today as well as the diversified products and services available to their clients. The HR team gave examples of typical roles that would be available to recruits and spoke about the interview process. In addition, students had a sharing session with a part-time Master of Finance student with HKU who is now a sales analyst at the organisation. He talked about his own career development at Bloomberg, as well as his observations on the financial services industry as a whole, given his daily interactions with investment banking clients.

HKIHRM Conference

November 24, 2016

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The MBA Programme participated in the annual HKIHRM Conference in which the theme was HR transformation. Over 30 renowned speakers exchanged their experiences of overcoming today’s human capital challenges in the corporate world. The MBA Programme set up an exhibition booth during the conference to interact with senior HR professionals on career opportunities for the full-time MBA students and also to engage with business executives who may potentially be interested in joining the part-time programme.

Company Visit to L’Oréal Travel Retail

November 23, 2016

The Travel Retail business of L’Oréal hosted MBA students at their office where the senior leadership team in Asia introduced the nature of their business in general, the different consumer trends, and the business opportunities and challenges presented over the years. From the shift of demographics to the building of new airports to the change of channel mix, the students came to understand how the company is continuing to respond to travellers’ needs and they asked many insightful questions during their visit.

Women in Leadership Club – The Gender Experiment

November 22, 2016

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The Women in Leadership Club held a panel discussion and networking event at Macquarie’s office in IFC, on the subject of the participation of women in the workforce and their ascent of the corporate ladder. The keynote speaker was Dr. Puja Kapai, Associate Professor of Law at HKU. She told of her battle with stereotypes about women from within her own family in being able to complete matriculation, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree at HKU and subsequently a Master of Laws degree at Harvard, after which she has built a name for herself in legal academia. She also discussed the prevalence of implicit bias in the workplace.

The speech was followed by a discussion in which panelists talked about how to be more inclusive towards women as well as minority communities in the office environment, and some of the related HR programmes that organisations have put into place over the years. The event was attended by students/alums from the MBA programme and employees of Macquarie, as well as associates of the corporate sponsors of the event.

Through a humourous series of analogies, Arnab explained the different types of risks factors, and led an engaging discussion on how we would react in different scenarios when considering all the various types of risks a bank has to account for in making a decision for a potential client. It was interesting to learn how the interaction of risks and holistic management comes into play, and how a bank’s culture is at the heart of risk management.

We’d like to thank Arnab for sharing his time and experience, especially from those of us without a finance background who found his talk accessible and thoroughly compelling.

Adidas Company Information Session

November 08, 2016

Adidas came to Main Campus in November 2016 to speak with MBA students as well as students with the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. They introduced not only their brand, but also the Asia hub of Product Operations which is based in Hong Kong. Students learnt about opportunities in Strategy & Projects, Group HR, Group Finance and Sustainability & Environmental Affairs and interacted with the 12 representatives from Adidas.

Part-time MBA Career Workshop by Daniel Porot

The Career Services team was excited to invite Mr. Daniel Porot, a globally-renowned career strategist, who travelled from Europe to deliver career workshops for our MBA students in early November.

The workshops covered various career topics including career planning, self-assessment, salary negotiation and making a radical career change, navigating not just the job market but also the hidden job market. This interaction with Mr. Porot brought us great insights into our career and personal development plans.

“I had the chance to participate in Daniel Porot’s workshop on career progression. Daniel Porot is a coryphée in the field of career development. He advised already more than 115,000 people in 60 countries on how to successfully leverage their past achievements in order to make the next leap into their new and fulfilling jobs. If you thought that you knew already all the angles and tricks on job hunting, then be surprised and learn from several decades of Daniel Porot’s experience. Daniel Porot delivers his concepts through a unique and engaging approach by storytelling and swift drawings, which he creates during his workshop and which will stick to your brain, even during the pressure of your next job interview.”

Diwali Celebration 2016

November 05, 2016

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Diwali is the biggest festival in India and to celebrate this, a party was held on 5th November 2016. Everyone was excited about the event and that could be seen by their enthusiasm to participate in preparations, which involved many late-night dance practice sessions at the university campus and shopping for the event.

On the day of celebrations, the HKU MBA Full-time class of 2017 came together like a family and the beauty of a multi-national class came out in all its glory with many non-Indian classmates dressing up in traditional Indian wear.

Celebrations started with performing the traditional rituals of lighting up diyas and reciting prayers, followed by the most awaited event of the night, the dance performances that got everyone excited and set the mood for the rest of event.

The food was a big star. People could not get enough of the sumptuous Indian food that was catered. Everyone participated in games and danced together to the tunes of Indian music.

This event has just set the perfect tone for future student-initiated events and our HKU MBA Full Time Class of 2017 family cannot wait for them!

Class of 2016 Graduation Ceremony

November 03, 2016

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On 3 November, the Faculty of Business and Economics Graduation Ceremony of the HKU 196th Congregation was held at the Grand Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. We were honoured to have Dr. Victor Fung Kwok-king, Group Chairman of the Fung Group, as the Keynote Speaker to deliver an inspiring address to our graduands.

More than 200 graduates and guests from the MBA programme attended the Ceremony and celebrated the achievements of graduates. Some even came all the way back from overseas for the joyful moment. Graduates received flowers from their families and friends and the blessings of the Dean and faculty members.

Graduation is not the end of the MBA journey, it is a milestone in their achieving, and graduates will take up new roles as alumni to inspire the next generation. The friendships they have earned, the professional knowledge and skills they have acquired, and the career networks they have developed, will be of benefit to their lifelong adventure and make the MBA community stronger as a whole.

Gap Company Information Session

November 01, 2016

Members from Gap’s Global Supply Chain office in Hong Kong came in November 2016 to discuss their company operation, culture, and summer internship/rotational leadership opportunities for our MBA students. Specifically, Mr. Badarinath Grandhe, an alum from 2016 who joined Gap through the programme, told us how he came to take up a summer internship with the organisation and since transitioned to become a full-time Sourcing Strategy Manager. Through the presentation and networking session, students learnt about the culture of Gap and more importantly, how the sourcing function ensures that a piece of clothing moves seamlessly from design to being in the store.

Post-Graduate Career Fair

November 01, 2016

The Career Services function of the MBA Programmes held a joint career fair along with the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) in November 2016 to host recruiting partners interested in HKU’s MBA, master and Ph.D. level students. The event took place at the Town Centre in Admiralty. 13 companies across financial services, management consulting and FMCG sectors met with over 150 students and conducted on-site interviews to identify their talent pipeline.

Capco Company Information Session

October 27, 2016

Capco came to campus in October 2016 to share with the MBA community at large at HKU how this business and technology consultancy has quickly expanded over the years and is now serving major clients in the financial services sector. Six representatives from the Hong Kong operation (including Mr. Martin Hermanowski, alum of Class of 2013) walked the students through a typical day in the life of a consultant at Capco, the types of projects and challenges they see on their job, and what makes them excited to be part of the organisation. Students were able to speak with the business leaders, one-on-one, at the post-presentation networking event.

Visit to Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

October 25, 2016

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On 25 October 2016, our MBA students visited the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) at the International Finance Centre. The students were given an overview of the formation and function of HKMA. Then they were introduced to Hong Kong's monetary and banking history going back to the nineteenth century. A currency section allowed students to have a better understanding of the high-end technology used for the making and printing of legal tender in Hong Kong.

Résumé and Interview Skills Enhancement Workshop

October 23, 2016

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The Career Services team is proud to introduce the first Career Progression Workshop for our part-time MBA students on the afternoon of Sunday, 23 October 2016. Mr. Jonathan Kwan spent four hours with our students on the topic of Résumé and Interview Skills Enhancement. The Workshop was highly interactive and with much discussion and hands-on role play. Mr. Kwan gave many realistic and valuable insights into these skills and the internationally most accepted approaches from the point of view of both employers and recruiters.
Students were delighted to learn how to leverage many of those skills for their future job applications.

Deloitte Company Information Session

October 11, 2016

Deloitte hosted 20 of our full-time MBA students at their office in October 2016 to explain the makeup of the organisation, the evolution of the Advisory business and their human capital needs for the Greater China offices (Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing). Students learnt how Deloitte Advisory differentiates itself from other advisory /management consulting firms and they also came to understand what it takes to be a successful consultant. The students were subsequently invited to attend a workshop organized by Deloitte to brush up on their case cracking skills.

HKU MBA Leadership Talk

October 05, 2016

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HKU MBA was proud to host a leadership talk at the Town Centre on October 5. On this occasion, MBA office was very happy to welcome Mr. William Kuan, Chief Executive Officer, New Markets at Prudential Corporation Asia, to share with the audience the experiences of his CEO journey.

Mr. Kuan was kind enough to talk about his personal growth within the Prudential group, and the understanding he gained from operating within the region. He stressed the value of being open to new opportunities, and how important it is to be a generalist, rather than a specialist, in order to advance to the highest levels of management.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the number of attendees from the insurance industry, and the number of questions they had. Mr. Kuan was patient, dealt with a number of technical questions as well as general queries about leadership, and continued several of these conversations with both students and alumni in the following networking session.

It was a lovely event, and we are so grateful that Mr. Kuan was willing to spend his time and experience with us.

2016 Shenzhen Trek

September 28, 2016

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Shenzhen is becoming a major centre of innovation in Southern China across a number of different industries. Career Services took the MBA students on a day-long excursion to Shenzhen in September 2016 to visit Tencent, DJI and SF Express. Students attended the company presentations and also networked with senior business executives to learn about these three organisations, the success stories behind them, as well as career opportunities available to both Chinese and non-Chinese speakers.

Microsoft Company Information Session

September 23, 2016

The MACH (Microsoft Academy of College Hires) programme is a graduate programme designed to allow MBA graduates to receive professional development and gain a better understanding of the different business functions at Microsoft. Six representatives from Microsoft Hong Kong (including Mr. Ronald Kwok, an alum from the Class of 2016 who joined the programme as Partner Channel Development Manager) came to campus in September 2016 to share the details of MACH. Students learnt about what it is like to be part of the Microsoft family and gained insights into potential career development opportunities within the organisation through the presentation and the post-presentation networking session.

PwC Company Information Session

September 06, 2016

Five representatives of the Advisory Services of PwC Hong Kong came to Town Centre in September 2016 to talk about the contribution of the Advisory business to PwC as a whole, the organisation’s go-to-market strategy with clients in the Greater China region as well as recruitment programmes they have for MBA students/graduates. The PwC representatives included Ms. Manasy Vidyasagar, who graduated from the MBA programme in 2015. Through the company presentation and the networking session, students gained a better understanding of how young professionals like themselves would be able to grow their career in the PwC environment.

Leadership Talk - Trend in Coffee Industry

August 30, 2016

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It was a great honor for HKU MBA to host Mr. Patrick Kwok, Head of Operations - Starbucks Hong Kong & Macau, to offer us a guest lecture on “Trend in Coffee Industry” on August 30. The MBA Office is very glad to have received an overwhelming response to and comments on the talk, and to have had over 140 students and alumni participate in this event.

Patrick explained his personal leadership story where he told us about his journey from being in accounting and finance to his current role in operations. He also spoke about how he managed to achieve his goals in spite of facing many problems and obstacles.

The audience got to know deep insights about the coffee industry and how Starbuck’s manages its operations on a global scale and the efforts that the employees take to ensure that customers get the best service.

Career Visioning & Transitioning Workshop

August 19, 2016

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Career Services team invited Mr Jonathan Kwan to conduct a workshop on “Career Visioning and Career Transitioning” on 8 August 2016. Students learnt how to plan ahead for their career with a strategy, leverage their previous background to help them get to their new destinations and make appropriate use of “Coffee Chat” for successful networking. They were given insights into how career transitions are perceived in Asia and into talent acquisition in the current employment market. The lively presentation and interactive style of delivery from Mr Kwan were well received by the class.

"It was a very interesting topic. As a Korean, Coffee Chat was an unfamiliar concept to me. Unless a meeting was officially arranged in advance, I would have never contacted a stranger to ask questions about an industry. Through this workshop, I learned more about a new business networking approach and also gained an understanding of networking strategies that go beyond simply meeting a person. Before this, I was a little nervous about contacting someone that I didn't know very well, but now I am more confident about networking and look forward to meeting more people in Hong Kong soon."

Interview Skills Enhancement Workshop

August 16, 2016

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Career Services team invited Ms Bernice Lee to conduct a workshop on “Interview Skills Enhancement” on 16 August 2016.

The workshop equipped students with the necessary skills, such as job interview etiquette and the use of non-verbal communication, for becoming a smart candidate. Our coach, Ms Bernice Lee also demonstrated some non-technical interview skills such as salary discussions, the way to handle difficult job interview situations and a sample of interview questions. The session turned out to have a high level of interaction.

" I took part in the Interview Skills Enhancement Workshop. The workshop definitely exceeded my expectations. The trainer, Bernice, organized the workshop well in three parts. She also divided us into five groups so we could easily share our insights with classmates. First, she emphasized conveying the executive presence through first impression, and she explained the importance of postures, eye signals and the power of the voice. Then she demonstrated the principles of workplace dress codes. Sometimes the details make the differences during an interview. Lastly, she shared with us how to navigate a non-technical job interview. For instance, to succeed in a behavioral interview, we must be able to relate stories that link our experience to the potential position and to implement the STAR model. In summary, the workshop was clear, concise and interesting. "

Part-time MBA Orientation 2016

August 13, 2016

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The Part-time MBA Orientation on 13 August began the programme for the new part-time students.

In the morning, the students were welcomed by our MBA Executive Director, Mr. Sachin Tipnis, who gave them vision and direction to help them get the most out of the MBA programme. Following that, our Senior Programme Manager, Ms. Josephine Chan, provided programme and services details to get the students well prepared and planning for their MBA journey.

A team-building workshop was held in the afternoon and students were involved in mentally and sometimes physically demanding activities which promote teamwork, team spirit and a sense of belonging to the MBA family. The full-day orientation was tiring, yet exciting and rewarding to the newcomers.

The Power of Networking & Social Media for Career Success

Career Services team invited Ms MJ Jennings to conduct a workshop on “The Power of Networking and Social Media for Career Success” on 12 August 2016.

Ms MJ Jennings spoke about the most resourceful way to connect with people and making proper use of social media for career success. Students also explored how to make a positive and memorable first impression by participating in various role-play activities throughout the workshop.

"The Power of Networking and Social Media workshop conducted by MJ Jennings was very insightful as it emphasized the importance of networking, self presentation and the power of social media in this day and age. It was a very interactive session that comprised a series of activities such as creating one’s own networking map, the use of the ‘PAR’ technique for effective communication and the positive impact created by simply enunciating one’s name. One of my favourities was the ‘Elevator Pitch’ which makes the point that you should be able to deliver your message in the time span of an elevator ride. It’s very important for each working professional to craft their own elevator pitch and summarize who they are, whether it’s at a job interview, networking event or a cocktail party. I am very glad to have attended this workshop as it has encouraged me to work on the development of my 3Vs-Visual, Vocal and Verbal, and hence, create that everlasting first impression!"

Shreya BAHRI, Full-time MBA Class of 2017

"This workshop boosted my knowledge about networking in Asia. While I have always known that people do business with people they like, in Asia particularly your network is everything.It not only helps your chances of employment but also can improve your business. MJ showed me in an interactive way how to use networking as a strategic and powerful tool. My biggest take away from the workshop was: forget you are working! It's nice to be strategic, but once the interaction has started, just talk and listen. In short, be yourself and have fun! "

Personal Branding Workshop

August 09, 2016

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Career Services team invited Mr Andy Clark to conduct a workshop for our Full Time MBA students on Personal Branding on 3 August 2016. Andy walked through the whole process with the students on how to build their story and personal branding. Incorporating different exercises, the workshop was full of fun with experiential learning opportunities. The “Board-Breaking Challenge” was a physical representation of breaking through a challenge with the right attitude. Students received positive reinforcement with encouragement from peer support, thus building up their own self-confidence.

" A highly energised and interactive workshop on Personal Branding by Andy Clark was structured to first set an example and then help us gradually work towards building our individual brand and story. Instead of an instructive approach, the exercise based approach made the task at hand simple and effective. As a class we discovered some common themes as well as some unique experiences from people's moments of self-discovery and this was the highlight of the workshop for me. Setting and exercising the right system, attitude, and action towards goals translated into a fun exercise where I surprised myself by becoming a "Board-breaker", literally. "

Anupriya GOSWAMI, Full-time MBA Class of 2017

" Andy’s workshop emphasises how personal branding helps to define you and the significant role it plays when it comes to how you are perceived in society. The teaching method was innovative and the use of visual aids to discuss the concept of personal branding made the session interactive and extremely enjoyable. Analogous to the process of product branding, students were actively engaged in adopting defining moments from their lives and depicting them in the form of logos and slogans. Not only did it help us to create a brand for ourselves, but it also gave us the opportunity to learn more about the life experiences of our batch mates. Another exciting segment called the “board breaker” demonstrated the essence of identifying a target and how focus and confidence are important elements of personal brand in achieving that target. I sincerely encourage students of the batches that follow to attend the session as it will help them to gain an insight into one factor besides knowledge that can contribute immensely towards the success of an individual. Last but not least… “I AM A BOARD BREAKER AND I DID BREAK THE BOARD."